Reports for email processing in an email response management system

• US 20060036694A1
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Pricken, Thorsten, Auhagen, Gero, Zhou, Yufeng
• Granted Patent: US 8,499,043 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

One implementation provides a method for providing display information that represents a quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by a specific entity for a predefined time period in an electronic mail (email) response management system. In this implementation, the method includes determining a first value associated with a first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for a first predefined time period, wherein each email message has been sent from one end user. Upon determination of the first value, the method further includes causing to be displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) a first representation of the first value in spatial relation to representations of the specific entity and the first predefined time period.

Claims

1. In an electronic mail (email) response management system, a method for providing display information that represents a quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by a specific entity for a predefined time period, the method comprising:

determining a first value associated with a first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for a first predefined time period, each email message having been sent from one end user; and

upon determination of the first value, causing to be displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) a first representation of the first value in spatial relation to representations of the specific entity and the first predefined time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a second value associated with a second quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for a second predefined time period, each email message having been sent from one end user; and

upon determination of the second value, causing to be displayed in the GUI a second representation of the second value in spatial relation to representations of the specific entity and the second predefined time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the received email messages as entries in a message storage area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the message storage area comprises a message queue.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the first value associated with the first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for the first predefined time period includes determining the first quantity of received email message entries contained within the message storage area that are assigned to the specific entity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the first quantity of received email message entries contained within the message storage area that are assigned to the specific entity includes determining the first quantity of received email message entries that have been stored within the message storage area for the first predefined time period.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein each received email message entry stored in the message storage area contains content of the received email message associated with that entry.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein each received email message entry stored in the message storage area contains a name of an entity assigned to process the received email message associated with that entry.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein each received email message entry stored in the message storage area contains a value for a time when that entry was inserted into the message storage area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first value associated with the first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for the first predefined time period includes determining the first value associated with a number of separately received email messages.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first value associated with the first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for the first predefined time period includes determining a first value associated with a first quantity of received email messages that have yet to be responded to by the specific entity within a first predefined time period.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from a user to configure the first predefined time period.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific entity comprises an organizational unit.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific entity comprises an agent having an associated email address.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving each email message.

16. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform a method in an electronic mail (email) response management system to provide display information that represents a quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by a specific entity for a predefined time period, the method comprising:

determining a first value associated with a first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by the specific entity for a first predefined time period, each email message having been sent from one end user; and

upon determination of the first value, causing to be displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) a first representation of the first value in spatial relation to representations of the specific entity and the first predefined time period.

17. An electronic mail (email) response management system, the system being programmed to:

determine a first value associated with a first quantity of received email messages that have been held for processing by a specific entity for a first predefined time period, each email message having been sent from one end user; and

upon determination of the first value, cause to be displayed in a graphical user interface (GUI) a first representation of the first value in spatial relation to representations of the specific entity and the first predefined time period.